Abstract:
Keeping in view the scarcity of water resources, effective use of water is an essential element for humans. The contamination of water with toxic pollutants is the biggest challenge globally. Therefore, it is crucial to develop and implement water treatment approaches which limit water wastage. Water is contaminated with various toxic, inorganic (heavy metals) and organic (dyes) pollutants. Primarily, water pollution is created by man-made activities, including household chores, agricultural consumption, and industrial waste. On the contrary, nanotechnology promisingly ensures safe and healthy drinking water. The current review article provides a brief overview of recent developments in nanomaterials, biosorption capacities (presented in tabular form for comparison), and future perspectives of nano-based sorbents. Moreover, nanomaterials for adsorptive remediation of pollutants (heavy metals and dyes) are categorized as organic (carbon and graphene-based) and inorganic (metals and metals oxides-based). To increase their adsorption capacity, they can be modified with various functional groups. The adsorption capacity of nanomaterials to adsorb the pollutants depends on pH, adsorbent dosage, pollutants concentration, and contact time. These nanomaterials are a powerful alternative to conventional treatment approaches due to their improved adsorption capacity. However, nanotechnology requires to overcome the environmental concerns and cost-effectiveness of nanomaterials. The regeneration and reuse of nanomaterials can enable it.
Keywords:
Treatment
,
Adsorption
,
Wastewater
,
Graphene oxide
,
Nanomaterials
,
carbon nanotubes